18 Goi'crnment Forestry Abroad. [202 



felling of his forest, and the quiet of home life, to 

 the constant activity of travel. The stimulus which 

 ambition fails to. give is supplied by the admirable 

 esprit de corps which pervades the whole body of 

 forest officers, and forms here, as elsewhere, the best 

 security for the efficiency and healthy tone of the 

 service. 



Immediately subordinate to the members of the 

 executive staff are the various grades of forest 

 guards, upon whom the protection of the forest 

 directly and exclusively rests. In general, each guard 

 is in charge of one of the five beats into which the 

 average range is divided. --The forester (I quote 

 from the Service Instructions) must protect the beat 

 entrusted to him against unlawful utilization, theft 

 and injury, and see to it that the forest and game 

 laws are observed. He is charged with the execution 

 of the felling, planting and other forest work under 

 the orders of the Oberforster, and he alone delivers 

 all forest produce, on receipt of written instructions, 

 to the persons qualified to receive it." 



The training of the protective staff is provided for 

 with a care which in any other land might be thought 

 more suitable for officers of a higher grade, and a 

 period of preparation only less long than that for 

 Oberforster stands before the beginner. 



But lest the necessity for so long a course of pre- 

 paratory work should seem unduly to enhance the 

 difficulties of forest management, it should be noted 

 here that in countries whose grade of excellence in 

 forest matters is closely second to that of Germany 

 the schooling of forest officers is very considerably 

 shorter. There will be occasion to refer to this 

 matter further on. 



